


Pursuit

by ohmythief



Series: SHSL Rarepair Week - ChihiMuku [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Zero, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Agender Character, Arson, Assassination, Chases, Fluff and Angst, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Bad At Titles, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Brutal Murder, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, SHSL Rare Pair Week, Undecided Relationship(s), as always, i think thats it?, its not bloody i swear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:08:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4602732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmythief/pseuds/ohmythief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SHSL Rare Pair week</p><p>Day three ; yellow apatite (alternative prompt: scene kid au)<br/>achieving goals ; mental clarity ; expand knowledge ; “to deceive"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pursuit

An envelope was lying on her desk. It has been like that for a while. Its not like the piercing gaze she was sending to it would make it disappear. In the middle of the correspondence a big M was written. She tried to ignore it, shifting her gaze to the window that gave a perfect amount of light. Nothing seemed to pick her interest, honestly. Just the same kids playing, a couple a few steps away, saying goodbye perhaps, and a kid chasing a dog eating what she thought was a melon bread.  Melon bread, huh? She hasn’t seen that in a while now, it seems people in this country weren’t very fond of the Japanese culture. She kind of missed it, just a bit. Again, on her desk, the envelope remained the same as two minutes before. As still as an envelope must be.

Finally, she heard steps coming from the stairs leading to the second floor of the old house. “Ikusaba-san, its time to go” they said “They finally found interest in this project, Kirigiri-san must be waiting for us at the café nearby” Mukuro nodded and stood up “Here, I brought a glass of water. I thought you may want it” they stuttered “You have been waiting me for a while”

“Thank you” she grabbed the glass of water and drank all of it at once, the other one smiled “Let’s go then, Fujisaki-kun” and they intertwined arms walking out of the house.

Kids, couple, dog, that’s the same thing she saw, and after a short trip to the nearby café, that’s the only thing she spotted. Its understandable, the clouds screamed that it was time to rain. Thanks to whoever was in the sky, that they had mercy for this arid land.

However, when they entered the café, Mukuro knew it was weird. Kyouko wasn’t one for being late  without a notice. Still, Mukuro spotted an empty table near the door, by the time closing itself, and went for it. She let Chihiro sit before her, and after the expected ‘thanks’ they sat side by side waiting for the lavender haired girl.

They cleared their throat, still, they stuttered the next words “It has been a pleasant time with you, Ikusaba-san. Now that Im about to share the project… Um, put an end to it… I hope we stay … Friends?” they questioned at the end, although Mukuro was sure they didn’t mean to.

“Of course” Mukuro shifted  her sweaty hands, not looking at those big round eyes watching her expectantly, with a light of their own “I… really would like that” she tried for a smile, but failed, instead she let her eyes reflect her comfort at those kind words. She felt a bit flustered, if she allowed herself to be honest, since nobody ever showed the amount of kindness that the hazel haired one did. Mukuro has been, for the past three months, acting as a lab rat for Chihiro’s project (the latter rejected to call her like that). They needed someone with strength, speed, and combat abilities to add to the Artificial Intelligence that Chihiro was creating. Although the big corporation, Hope’s Peak, that they were working for tried to employ someone even stronger than Mukuro, the wanted person denied the job: ‘There is no way I would be lending my strength or trust to some machine, combat must be done by humans. You will bring doom to us’ and Mukuro was up for anything, really. Its not like she needed the money, years of being known as a reckless mercenary brought enough of it to live plenty comfortable, but a friend of hers asked for help. His name was Naegi Makoto, and Mukuro would think twice before rejecting someone as trustworthy and tender as Makoto, who has known her for a long while. He told her that Hope’s Peak was trying to build shields for what they cared about, not to fight or have advantage against any enemy. The first irony of all this, was that Makoto didn’t work for  _that_  company, but he was friends with its head, Jin Kirigiri, the father of who was taking too long to arrive, Kyouko Kirigiri. Father and daughter didn’t have a good relationship, that’s why Jin asked Makoto for that favor, also betting that Mukuro wouldn’t deny coming from his mouth. That’s how she ended working with the petite programmer, and honestly, it was like playing family with no-kids. Having that thought suddenly crossing her mind made her blush, and Chihiro noticed, of course, but said nothing.  Mukuro was thankful for that.

“Kirigiri-san sure is taking her time, don’t you think?” they tapped their chin.

“Indeed, I’m kind of curious as to what would take so much of her time” Actually, it was suspicious. Why would she tell Chihiro to wait here? When they would be the one waiting for her…  Something smells really bad about all of this. But she wasn’t the only one who rephrased her thoughts like that. Soon enough, someone screamed from the back of the café something that sounded like ‘Fire, explosion, run’ all at the same time. Without a guess how that was possible, Mukuro felt her blood leaving her face and Chihiro was startled by the sudden commotion around them “Come with me” she showed her palm to Chihiro, who took it quite immediately, and both ran out of the café. Right on time the kitchen, or what Mukuro supposed it was, exploded. She covered Chihiro with her body, and they hugged her tightly closing with force their eyes.  _Was it… Kirigiri…_

Someone grabbed her elbow spinning both of them with enough force, so now they would (or she, since Chihiro stayed with their face buried in Mukuro’s chest) face her. She pushed her now wild bangs out of her piercing  purple eyes “We must run” Kirigiri said with grim features. Mukuro didn’t question her at all and grabbed Chihiro bridal style. With that, they started to run as fast as they could and surprisingly Kirigiri managed to keep up with  her pace, only three steps behind. Again, thanks to whoever was in the sky, their house was stationed near the café they were in minutes ago. Kirigiri abruptly entered the house and waited for  Mukuro to come in, then she clicked the lock and alongside Mukuro they both put as many things as they could in front of the door. Before doing as told, Mukuro made sure to gently leave Chihiro sitting on the floor, safe, and the latter  on her part stayed put but shaking with their wide round eyes not leaving Mukuro’s concerned frown.  _They are safe…_

After being sure that not even a fly would be able to enter the house, Mukuro went to stroke Chihiro’s hair telling them that it was alright now, and when they squeezed her hand back, she glanced at Kirigiri “Mind explaining, Kirigiri-san?”

“Isshiki Madarai” she said “Now dead. Does that name ring a bell for you?” she scanned Mukuro’s face with no avail, not a single emotion was shown.

“…” but her silence was enough.

“They tried to kill me, emphasis in tried” she walked to a near desk and threw her violet jacket on its empty surface, she sat down and tilted her head. Mukuro’s eyes traveled through her now exposed arm and spotted a knife injury “It’s not a deep cut” the raven  haired girl  nodded and stationed her attention to Chihiro once again.

“There is a first aid kit behind the stairs, the only door there” Chihiro tripped with their words, taking deep breaths every so often. Kyouko went pass them, not before giving a soft pat in the back to Chihiro, and left both of them alone “Did…” they sniffed “All the people in that café… Did they…?”

“I…” Mukuro wanted more than anything to reassure the smaller one, but the soldier couldn’t be called wise with words so she decided to trace with her thumb  across the small wrinkle formed at the programmer’s forehead from worrying too much about people they never met. Chihiro sighed closing their eyes, accepting the gesture and relaxing their features.

“No one died, I made sure of it” Kyouko said coming from behind the stairs, a bandage covering the knife injury “Don’t worry too much. I gave the waiter enough time to scream and startle everyone in there, making them run for sure” Chihiro gazed at her with horror and Mukuro huffed at Kyouko’s lack of tact “Sorry” she coughed “The explosion covered only the kitchen, nobody got hurt, I promise” and after whispering the last phrase, she turned towards where she came from “I will make some tea, if you don’t mind”

There was a metal noise a few seconds after Kyouko left the common room, Mukuro paid no attention and helped the hazel haired one to stand up, reaching towards the same chair Kyouko occupied, not letting Mukuro’s hand go. There was another metal sound, Mukuro was about to check on the lavender girl when Chihiro squeezed her hand and said “I’m fine Ikusaba-san, you should help Kirigiri-san”  despite agreeing  with her thoughts,  Mukuro still knitted her eyebrows with solicitude “It’s okay” they reassured smiling, but soon enough they were coughing and the raven sighed “Sorry” another metal sound. Kyouko is not clumsy at the slightness… Then why...

“Kirigiri-san, are you alright over ther-“

“IKUSABA-SAN, FUJISAKI-KUN, RUN, NOW” Mukuro picked Chihiro up again, making sure to be gentle but still fast enough to face the front door.

The door knob was the one making those rattle noises.

Avoiding danger for the petite one, Mukuro ran towards Kyouko’s location, thinking that the best idea was to run away through the door at the back. She recovered speed and before finally stepping out of the house, she peeked slightly with the corner of her eye and saw the kitchen burning. But something bigger was coming, Mukuro figured at the time she perceived the strong smell of gas “HURRY” Kyouko screamed from the backyard. The lavender one seemed to be following  _something_. Mukuro trusted Kyouko enough to just follow her steps, and that’s exactly what she did. Chihiro could only squeak at the deafening explosion of their no longer habitable house.  _They burnt the whole house... Why?_

“Stop, I lost their track” Kyouko waved their hand, a frustrated groan escaping her lips.

“What do you mean?”

“There” she pointed at the ground “Someone ran away through the exact same door we did” Mukuro noticed the grass below their feet, someone stepped on it just now. It was easy to not spot that kind of clue, actually.  _Really small feet..._

“Ikusaba-san” Chihiro whispered “We should find somewhere to hide”

“What do you mean?” Kyouko kept trying to rediscover the small footprint on the recently watered grass, with no avail.

“Someone was trying to unlock the front door, remember?” they locked eyes with Mukuro.

“That’s not good, not at all” Kyouko glared at the sky or at nothing in particular, giving up on the search “The café, at the parking lot, my car is still there”

The soldier was concerned about Kyouko’s evident interpretation of the current situation, but decided she’d ask when all three of them were able to call their surroundings safe.

They went for her car.

 

“Kirigiri-san” The purple haired, now driver, nodded slightly giving her the notice that she was registering Mukuro’s words “What did you mean with ‘not good at all’? It’s been itching my nose for a while”

“Someone tried to open the front door, and recent steps at the backyard. That’s really bad news” her mouth formed a hard line.

“I think I know what Kirigiri-san means” the hazel haired one said with tremor “It means that if someone was stubbornly trying to unlock the front door, they didn’t know of course that the house could explode… They were totally clueless, why try to break into a house with that danger in mind?”

“You are trying to say-” Mukuro gulped “We got two tails following us”

“Exactly” Kyouko turned at the next corner, and it felt like there was no turning back for all three of them. The route was determined, and glued at their backs.

 

 

Waiting for Kyouko to return from her friend’s house, which she admitted that could help them, Mukuro and Chihiro stayed in the back seat of the car thumb wrestling, in which it was the fourth time that the smaller one won “Its not fair, its obvious you are letting me win!” they chided.

“I’m not” Mukuro  smiled sheepishly. Their thumb war always ended in who let who win this round, instead of actually trying to win. It was like that in every game they shared, Mukuro remembered that time they played (tried to play) Uno where they found it rude to throw the +2 cards to each other, they even pushed away the +4 ones before starting. It was kind of childish, but those moments made both of them laugh. She really enjoyed her time living with Chihiro, as embarrassed as the thought made her, it was true. Living in that house…  _Which was no longer there…_

“Head in the clouds?” Chihiro suddenly peeked with a smile through Mukuro’s bangs, which gave enough shadow to her distant eyes “I trust that everything will be fine in the end” they covered her hands with their own “I treasure that thought, I hope… You do, too”

Their exchange of warm gazes was suddenly interrupted by someone clearing their throat. A person with white hair, sickish pale skin, and a grin that reminded both of a cheshire cat, stayed near the car “Sorry to be a bother, but you must enter the house now. There is a room designated for both, hope you don’t mind sharing” they said “Im Kirigiri-san’s plan B, Nagito Komaeda. He/him pronouns, mind you. It is a pleasure to meet both” with a nod, he walked towards the wealthy-looking house. They followed him inside.

 

“Are you telling me they are carrying that with them, as  we speak?” The white haired said.

“Of course, that question is out place” Kyouko leaned against the wall, her face changing to a pained expression. Before Nagito’s hands could reach her, she showed her gloved hands and stopped his pace “Im fine, just a slight cut”

“And you are telling me it doesn’t hurt, of course” he blankly said “You made sure-“

“Its not-” she interrupted “-Poisoned. My dad won’t be ripping your throat for this, don’t worry”

“You misunderstand me, Kirigiri-san. Im not concerned because I think of it as a job, your misleading thoughts about me kind of sting” he sighed and looked at the new faces “As you could guess, I wasn’t expecting any visitors today. From this short notice I found my way to prepare rooms for you. Yours-” he shifted eyes between Mukuro and Chihiro “The second floor, is the first room at your left, the bathroom is at the end of the hallway” he smiled.

“Thank you, Komaeda-kun” Chihiro sweetly grinned and walked straight up the stairs, with Mukuro behind, not before muttering a low ‘excuse us’ and disappearing from their view.

 

It seems someone else has been staying at this exact room, she saw some portraits near the now closed door but paid no attention to it. Nothing to care about, its not like Mukuro wanted to peek at Nagito’s life. Its better to stay as acquaintances, nothing more. She was sure the layout behind Kyoko’s called plan B is buying the next plane tickets, for only Chihiro and her, that Nagito’s money could find. Kyouko would stay, she always did. The reason is the place they were probably being sent to.

“We are meeting the head of the corporation, aren’t we? That’s what Kirigiri-san has in mind, to send us into captivity, to stay safe, inside the main office, right?” Chihiro inquired while sitting on the bed that occupied all the left side of the small room. Mukuro always thought that Chihiro wasn’t as weak as people thought. Sure, they didn’t have enough physical strength, but their intuition was almost always on the spot. Their sixth sense was always on red alert. She sat at the spot next to the programmer, the latter zipping the hidden pocket inside their sleeve, extracting a small chip from it “All of this… Its-“

“Not your fault” Mukuro argued. She stood up and kneeled in front of Chihiro, so now their eyes were at the same level “There is bad people, asking for unthinkable things, trying to bring despair out of what should bring hope” she clutched their hand, the one where the small chip was “You are a brilliant, tender person whose hands must bring nothing but hope, I’m here… to make sure of it” Mukuro hesitantly cupped Chihiro’s left cheek, and felt heat irradiating from them. At least, she wasn’t the only one whose heart seemed about to burst. The petite one happily sighed, and after sharing some comfortable seconds with only each other’s presence, they guarded the small chip back in the hidden pocket.

“You keep saying that you don’t consider yourself good enough with words” Chihiro giggled “But you always find the way to reassure me, Ikusaba-san” they looked at the floor, a shy smile on their lips.

Mukuro was about to say something, although she wasn’t sure that she could formulate any kind of sounds, when Kyouko’s voice echoed through the empty hallway leading to the rooms asking for Mukuro’s presence. She left Chihiro by themself, not before leaning against the door frame and earning a smile from them, and walked down the stairs leaving the door to stay open so she could hear whenever or in case Chihiro called.

She searched for purple hair, which she found at the kitchen, making tea “I think you already minded that this conversation was going to happen” Kyouko said giving her back to her “But we must talk about your connection with Isshiki Madarai, it could help us acknowledge one of our trackers, at least”

“Where is Komaeda-kun?” she sat by the mini bar, and Kyouko leaned a mug in front of her “Thank you” the purple haired nodded.

“He went to the bathroom” she sipped from her own mug “We should wait for him” Mukuro shifted awkwardly “Don’t worry, he is… Trustworthy… Kind of…”

“That doesn’t reassure me at all” Kyouko grinned at her, with an amused switch in her eyes “But if you say so”

“Thanks for waiting for me” the white haired man, now with a low ponytail, came into view “I should start the discussion dropping the hint that Isshiki Madarai is absolutely not dead”

 

“You’re kidding…” Kyouko said, with a frown. She was watching a recording from a security camera pointing towards Mukuro and Chihiro’s house the exact moment someone tried to break into it “It’s the same guy, but I saw-“

“As I said, its pretty strange because the office reports indicated that they found a body where you told you left it” he smiled and glanced at Mukuro “I think there is more to it”

“Yes” Mukuro agreed “Actually, the one you killed isn’t Isshiki Madarai”

“I don’t understand, please elaborate” Kyouko voiced, and Nagito nodded studying Mukuro’s face.

“Isshiki Madarai died two years ago right in front of my eyes, sort of… A job. I believe there is no reason to elaborate on that”

“Continue”

“There are exactly eight assassins coming from the Madarai family, brothers. They have a stubbornly way to act, I believe they named themselves with numbers  _(A/N: referring to their kanji)_ and act in that exact order, meaning that when Isshiki died, Futasshiki took his place”

“Did I kill Futasshiki, then?”

“He’s already dead… If my information isn’t obsolete, I believe who you killed was Misshiki , and that one-” she pointed with her index at the camera “Is… Yosshiki  _(A/N: four one according to kanji, since now it will keep with the correct order)”_  a gap of silence took its place between them, Mukuro concluded “They jump through headquarters, since they trust nobody but themselves, so I don’t know who they might be working with at this moment. I should add that any information according to their exact position is not trustworthy” the mercenary glanced inside her mug, where the now cold tea showed her stern face.

Nobody but Nagito added more than a ‘goodnight’ dismissing the small reunion, after Kyouko volunteered to wash the small amount of dishes, saying that it will conceive her peace of mind. Mukuro didn’t argue with that and leaving the purple haired girl behind, she went straight to the room she was sharing with Chihiro closing the door behind her. The latter was asleep, lying on their side facing the wall. Mukuro didn’t want to hassle them, but it wasn’t necessary because before reaching her bed they grabbed her wrist. Half their face was covered by the thin blanket, almost up their nose, eyelids heavy with the pressure of the days that went and will come. They both exchanged their thoughts with a simple glance, and without a word resonating between these four walls, Chihiro made space for them to sleep together. Their back was pressed against the wall, pinkies intertwined facing her. They lifted their body with an elbow, reaching for Mukuro’s forehead, a goodnight kiss, and resumed the exact same position from before. They were both asleep soon enough.

 

“The Madarai assassins are pretty radical” the raven haired voiced trying to eat what was left of her breakfast. Nagito was trashing egg shells, not paying mind to their conversation, or so it seemed “Although its ironic that both explosions weren’t made by them”

Chihiro was creating a bait, an empty chip, a cliché movement that Kyouko said it could be helpful, although it was more like following an obsolete protocol. Mukuro tried to make them eat, but they refused with a nod saying that their appetite was long gone. Kyouko sitting at the opposite side of them, she was gathering her long purple hair in a messy high ponytail. Her arm was no longer bandaged, since the knife cut wasn’t near as harmful, so she insisted, it was almost healed by the time she woke up “The first explosion didn’t harm a single soul, I made sure of it. I said it before” she closed her eyes, eyebrows knitted “The second one wasn’t supposed to kill us. Elaborating my statement, it was obvious that the person who left the gas tap open was waiting for us. Perhaps any signal that we will indeed find out their scheme and run safe. Why would they risk their life staying near the house, if they were trying to kill us? Remember the footprints left in the grass” her piercing eyes stayed on Chihiro “Was there something of importance in that house, that it was necessary to burn it whole?”

“Im pretty sure there wasn’t” Chihiro searched for Mukuro’s addition in her statement, but she only nodded assuring that there was indeed nothing to take notice of.

Nagito cleared his throat gaining three pair of eyes on him. He dropped something in front of Mukuro and Chihiro “I’m sure you predicted all of this, the flight will be boarding in half an hour. You don’t have thing to pack, but inside that envelope there is also money to buy things you consider necessary for both. Im sure the amount will be enough”

“We don’t have as many things to consider as you may think, this is a bit too much” Mukuro added, searching for a clue of what the white haired must be actually thinking, a sign of real emotion from him.

“Consider it a gift, then” he smiled.

 

“Say hi to my grandpa” Kyouko said waving her hand “If you see him”

Mukuro grinned at her, but wore it off as faster as it’d come “I will send the message to him only”  _If I see him…_

“Goodbye, Kirigiri-san, please stay safe!” Chihiro hugged the forementioned, catching her off guard, she awkwardly returned the hug.

“Farewell, Fujisaki-kun” the smaller one undid the embrace, still touching Kyouko by their fingertips, until contact was no longer there. She glanced at Mukuro “Take care” and guarding Chihiro by the small frame of their back, both mounted the plane.

After spotting their seats, Chihiro managed to get some sleep, leaving Mukuro with Nagito’s envelope. It has more things than what he mentioned, between the pack of money there was a small slice of paper showing. The raven haired looked at the programmer, whose head rested on her shoulder, and sighed reading its content

_Farewell, Mukuro Ikusaba._

_I’m pretty sure you are the only one reading this letter. You did well in gaining the little programmer’s trust. She wants me to tell you,_ Good Job. _Although that hope talk you gave to them, sweet words coming from a dreaded mercenary… She wouldn’t like that, but my lips are sealed. And I mean it…_

_At the time you stepped out of my house, at the time my house was no longer at your sight, it was the time of my last breath. She doesn’t like people with wavering ideals, my apologies. My next words are written with complete honesty:_

Be safe, they are coming for you. And the little one you adore.

_P.S: Not reading Matsuda’s last words when you could was kind of rude, pity his last attempt of calligraphy was wasted in the fire. She sure likes big storms. Anyway, here is a simple hint: I was always plan B._

 

“Excuse me, Ikusaba-san?” The stewardess called beside her “You have a last minute call, its from Kirigiri Kyouko. Please be fast with your words, we’re preparing for take off”

 

 

 

 

_There has been a switch of head inside the corporation, Jin Kirigiri is dead. His right hand took the main office, don’t go there, you know why more than anybody. They found Yosshiki Madarai, his head is no longer in place. Beware with Sasshiki Madarai._

_And Nagito Komaeda is dead._

_Beep… Beep…_

 

She remembered the call from Kyouko, their plan was ruined.  _Theirs_. Not  _hers_. Everything is like she wished, everything was going smoothly.  _She must be bored._  Mukuro tried not to think too much about the complete distortion of the actual situation, a pang of pain went through her whole body and she tried not to choke with her own breaths.  _Betrayal…_ She was extremely glad that Chihiro wasn’t with her, so they won’t see her like this... Weak… Unable to protect them…  _Useless… In dispair…_

She abruptly opened the wooden doors, immediately locking gazes with her, who was surely waiting for her. For the first time, Mukuro’s face trembled with nothing but anger towards her sister “Junko” she whispered, trying to shake the hurt and harsh feeling lingering inside her out of her words.

“Nee-chan!” she smiled, widely. Enoshima Junko was sitting at the head of the corporation, her right leg hanging out of the velvet covered chair from one side, and her left foot on the desk in front of her. Her signature combat boots had blood dried on them and on top of the desk there was a slice of paper now broken into bits, except for legible M contrasting the unreadable content of the no-longer envelope “What do you think?” she stretched her arms making adem  the whole room “Kirigiri’s got a really bad taste in furniture” she proceeded to fold her arms below her chest “Where is the midget?” Junko played with the end of one of her two high pigtails.

“Melon bread” Mukuro voiced “They don’t sell melon bread in that town” and glanced at the far away corner, where a child was, enjoying the aforementioned pastry.  _Small feet…_

“Isn’t he cute?” Junko averted Mukuro’s angry glare “Yuto Kamishiro is my hidden trap, such a cute midget is easily unnoticed. His presence is completely ignored, a despair inducing talent even for him” she laughed, a disturbing high pitch sound echoing and piercing Mukuro’s ears. She wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes, wearing a bored expression, a twisted switch of attitude. It was normal coming from her sister. Staying with only one emotion for so long, it was not her style. Nothing was. “Mukuro” she straightened her back, legs now crossed and elbows on the desk supporting her head. The next words could be compared as if she spitted venom “Where is the little programmer?”

Mukuro felt like her feet was glued at the floor she currently stepped on. It felt like she was trying to gulp a hard stone, her lips were dry.

“Silent treatment?” Junko sighed “How boring, despairingly boring… Such a horrible nee-chan… What a waste in strength…” she continued to spit venom “Yuto, you are as useless as my eternally useless sister… Die” she closed her eyes peacefully, instead of the child from the corner, whose eyes increased in size almost unnaturally and after his last seconds, foam erupted from her mouth. The melon bread was poisoned “He failed, your midget was wiser than mine. His mission…”  She stood up, hands resting on either side of her waist tilted to the right “You can guess at least that, right? Intent of a sister…” she grinned “Even that hope sucker, forgot his name… Unimportant… His attempt to provoke me was despairingly boring, was time to wipe him out, more rotten fruit…” she glanced at the statue that could be called her sister “Ya’know? Making fireworks with large pieces of wood is really fun, but the feeling last like twelve seconds. How boring!” With eyelids half closed, she yawned.

Mukuro didn’t trust her voice, but she figured that her sister sent Yuto to take over Chihiro’s AI project with no avail. Chihiro was more clever, their intuition always on spot. And they have Mukuro protecting them… Just like Jin Kirigiri asked, and her friend Makoto begged for… So after killing Kirigiri, she decided that Mukuro was a stone on her way.  _Like always…_ She recalled. Anger exploded at the pit of her stomach. Junko was to kill Mukuro, and torture Chihiro until she got what she, only, wanted. The Artificial Intelligence program. Create a mass weapon, start an outburst between big companies, and disappear at the moment she finds boring her own plan. A plan that took lives… Took families… Gave no chance to forgiveness…

“Nee-chan” Junko took advantage of Mukuro’s absence to get closer, enough to directly murmur beside the raven’s right ear “At least you could let me savour the despair of killing my own sister, like I did with… My loyal… dearly… loving… Matsuda-kun” she whispered, tasting each word, slowly, with complete lack of emotion. Mukuro felt her sister’s long red nails sweetly stroking her short hair. Suddenly, in slow motion, Junko hugged Mukuro “He tried to stop me… But he’s always…” she giggled with delight, sharing an inside joke “Several steps behind…”

 

 

With her eyes burning from avoiding the tears to fall, she gripped at her own shirt with her right hand, leaving wrinkles at the end of it. And while relaxing all her muscles, the tears no longer threatening to fall, with a swift and almost robotic move of her left wrist, face as stern as the mercenary that pursued her fate, she cut Junko’s common carotid artery.

Mukuro didn’t reciprocate the first and last embrace that Junko ever gave to her. But she watched her last, wicked smile.

 

That night, waiting for the plane to arrive, she didn’t cry.

 

 

Chihiro couldn’t sleep. The caffeine currently traveling through their veins would make Mukuro frown, just like the times they drained their energy for working until unholy hours. They giggled to themselves with the memory, treasuring it, waiting. Someone rested her hand on their shoulder, giving proper reassurance. Chihiro smiled at Kyouko, whose concerned eyes never left Chihiro’s tired form. They have been waiting at the airport for almost five hours. The lavender haired thought it was unnecessary to wait for that long, but the programmer’s uneasiness started to concern her, so she decided that memorizing the whole airport was the best next thing they could do.

 

Mukuro hung up the phone and decided that she was going alone, leaving Chihiro at the verge of crying, with her heart clutching, behind. Kyouko thought it was better for the hazel one to stay here, and not near the roots of this entire situation. The Artificial Intelligence was given to the corporation that could provide good results, one that stayed in friendly terms (until now, of course) with Jin Kirigiri’s, and the same one their equal friend worked with. The head of it was Togami Byakuya, the heir of the big company, the Togami Corporation. With Chihiro, they went to willingly offer the chip. Makoto Naegi, their friend, talked with the programmer to convince them that he will be the one moving papers in the AI project, and that they could come in whenever they wanted. Chihiro didn’t think twice, she gave in. The story of the original AI program ended there, but they would be giving more ideas to it. Makoto assured that before letting their imagination free, they must clean the roots of the despair Enoshima’s betrayal brought.

 

Kyouko received calls from her grandpa telling her that her father’s effort and sweat were wasted, and she couldn’t agree more. He informed her that Nagito Komaeda was affected by Enoshima’s suffocating words, but his part as individual made him differ, and with that, it took his life. But the choices he made at the end were his own, so Kyouko decided not to dig inside the matter.

 

Three days went, painfully so for Chihiro, who stayed behind after her strength to keep arguing was over. Mukuro Ikusaba was supposed to arrive today, and Chihiro bet the last bit of strength left in them on that. For Kyouko, everything happened so fast. The second day she received a formal letter from the self proclaimed Sasshiki Madarai, telling her that Enoshima Junko was dead, and with that, their last paid task was informing her about the change of events.

_‘We are assassins, we made our job although the task was… Easy to distort. They gave us very specific instructions for every scenery possible. Its complicated. Now, at the time, you are able to forget about us. I hope we don’t have to see each other again. Enjoy your life.’_

The only thing she had to say following that respect was a simple comment of the obvious lack of tact coming from them, because along with Junko’s money they took their brothers death. But she kept that thought to herself, since she is the last person to say so. Her grandpa did nothing but dispute Junko Enoshima’s mental state. The case was immediately dismissed. No one talked about Mukuro murdering her own sister. Kyouko wouldn’t let them.

 

Her recollection of the memories this past three days was interrupted by a voice saying that the plane, where Mukuro was supposed to arrive, was here. And they apologized for the troublesome delays followed by more unimportant information. Allowing herself to be honest, she was a bit concerned that she wasn’t in that plane.  _But she would never leave Chihiro like this, forever? Mukuro wouldn’t…_ But worrying was unnecessary, and she was glad it was like that. She was thankful for Nagito’s looseness when offering money, it gave Mukuro the chance to look for the next plane returning to their home. She sighed.

“Mukuro” Chihiro cried, running towards where they spotted Mukuro. An airport guard was trying to stop them from slipping through the glass doors, but Kyouko managed to hold the programmer still before earning more glances. Of course neither of them cared, it was simply avoiding more trouble. But it wasn’t long, since Mukuro went with nothing of her own so she didn’t need to wait for her package or even less wait for it to be inspected.

And so, when hazel and gray eyes finally locked, the mercenary ran to them, stopping in front of the programmer at a poor distance, less than an inch. Mukuro thought twice, and hesitated too long since Chihiro surprised the raven one by tightly hugging her at the second she was reachable, a hug that this time was immediately reciprocated. Chihiro smiled painfully, and Kyouko found the scene displaying in front of her warming. She tried for a wide smile, but her face allowed a simple grin.

 

Without a single tear, not even one of joy, they leaved the airport which now gave them a bitter taste every time they glanced at it. Kyouko went for her car, the driver’s seat, and left both of them sit at the back of the car. Although at the moment Mukuro noticed Chihiro’s lack of sleep, she offered her lap with a light pink dusted on her face, and the moment the smaller one willingly accepted her offer and rested their head, they fell asleep with a smile tingling on their lips. Mukuro huffed and played lovingly with Chihiro’s hair all the ride to Kyouko’s house.

“I’m glad you are back” she blatantly said.

Mukuro only nodded, but felt ashamed at doing so since the lavender didn’t glance at her “I’m glad, as well” Mukuro swore there was a peek of a smile on the lavender’s lips, and Kyouko was more than sure that the mercenary was trying to hide her smile, with dusted cheeks.

 

Mukuro Ikusaba was scared, she never doubted her sister, not even once. She never thought she could so easily decide to kill her only sister.

She was afraid to trust.

But she never hesitated to trust Chihiro.

She already did, the moment they received her as a mercenary and nothing more in their own house, with a warming and welcoming smile.

The moment they treated her as a person.

And not as a killing machine.

 

After saying her goodnight, Kirigiri Kyouko decided it was time to opt for a chance of surroundings, a quiet office, coffee stained paperwork piled on her designated desk, the sound of typing and photocopies being printed. She went outside leaving the other two a time of breath alone with only each other, taking the dark sky without a single star, called her friend Makoto, earning a gasp and the promise of a warm welcome there. She could hear Togami as background noise saying “Finally that obstinate woman decided” soon enough followed by the expected click of tongue from him. She hung up and smiled, enjoying the wind blowing through her now free and wild lavender hair.

 

That night, the thin blanket at waist high, Chihiro hugging Mukuro tightly from behind as the big spoon, nose tickling the back of her neck and while humming an improvised lullaby, the no longer mercenary cried to sleep. And she wasn’t afraid to show weakness, she was at home. The imaginary blood covering her whole didn’t reek anymore. It is still a part of her, sure. But a part that Chihiro accepted, and hugged as tight as the weakling version of her taking space in their shared small bed in their present time.

For the first time in her whole life, she prayed for the ghosts of those who couldn’t find peace.

Or home.

 

Or both.

**Author's Note:**

> This was a wild trip, and i got too carried away


End file.
